This is what awaits you on the Ivory and Gold tour of the Kruger Park and Eastern South Africa.
Rates:
2 persons on tour: R 66 400 per person sharing
3-4 persons on tour: R 43 500 per person sharing
5-6 persons on tour: R 36 900 per person sharing
Minimum 2 persons
Single supplements applies
Tour includes:
11 day guided tour, guide, fuel, vehicle
10 night accommodation
Meals as per itinerary
Entrance/conservation fees Kruger National Park
Community levy fees Kruger National Park
Entrance fees Panorama Route
Guided Mining tour
Guided game drive St Lucia
Boat cruise St Lucia
Border fees
Parking fees
Toll fees
Activities as per itinerary
Day 1, Night 1
Johannesburg to the Panorama Route
Meet and greet at place of residence in Johannesburg or at the International Airport by Alan Tours.
We board the tour vehicle and depart for the Mpumalanga (place where the sun rises) Panorama Route taking in the scenery which becomes more picturesque as we approach the escarpment and finally drops down towards the low laying country known as the Lowveld.
We check into our accommodation set on the edge of the pass in the foothills of the Drakensberg on the Panorama Route. We freshen up and meet in the spacious dining area for a delicious dinner before making our way to your comfortable chalet and a peaceful night’s rest.
Overnight Panorama Route, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 2, Night 2
Tour of the Panorama Route
Meet for a hearty breakfast before we check out and set off to explore the wonderful sights of this historic and spectacular area. An area dotted with the names of places that conjure up images of wonder and awe.
Names such as God’s Window, a stunning viewpoint overlooking the mirage like lowveld, when on a clear day one can see the Indian Ocean shimmering off the Mozambique coast.
We stop at a wonderful bush restaurant for a traditional South African meal prepared and cooked on the open fire and served, surrounded by huge boulders and the odd baboon, on the banks of the crystal waters of the Blyde (happy) River in the Blyde River canyon.
We stop at several lookout points with beautiful waterfalls cascading down sheer drops in this impressive canyon, the third largest in the world.
We descend the escarpment through a narrow passages and winding passes before arriving in the hot tropical Lowveld characterised by Marula, Silver leafed Terminalia and various Acacia species of trees that together with the gigantic Baobab are so typical in this hot dry environment under the towering red cliffs of the escarpment.
We check into our overnight accommodation and explore the peaceful gardens before freshening up for the evening meal and a good night’s rest in these relaxing surroundings.
Overnight Panorama Route, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 3, Night 3
Panorama Route/Mpumalanga area to Kruger National Park, central camp
Early wake up in the idyllic setting under the giant trees that line the banks of the river as it makes its way out of the confines of the escarpment that tower above us. After a delicious breakfast we depart and begin our journey, through extensive privately owned game preserves to the world-famous Kruger National Park.
We take a light lunch on the road or in one of the camps in the park depending on the route of the day. As we enter the Kruger National Park, we stop to check in and take a comfort break, before immediately starting our game viewing experience. We travel through the park towards our overnight accommodation at a centrally situated camp known for its abundance of wildlife and excellent Lion sightings.
On arrival at our overnight accommodation in the early afternoon, we check in before boarding the tour vehicle for the late afternoon drive searching for the many animals, reptiles and birds in this magnificent National Park (if time allows).
The evening is one of the best times to view the creatures of the park, when they start becoming more active in their never ending search for food and water.
We return to our rest camp for the evening meal at the camp restaurant.
Returning to our chalet to pack our luggage in preparation for an early departure in the morning.
There is now time to relax on your own porch for a peaceful evening, listening to the awe-inspiring sounds of the African night, the nocturnal creatures – the Fruit bats with their metallic clicking as they fly silently between the fruiting trees.
The black backed Jackal calling in defense of its territory; the low hoot of the Eagle owl or the chirpy call of the smaller Scopes Owl sitting in the trees above.
The far off call of the Spotted Hyena or if you’re in lucky, the deep bass of a pride of lions roaring in the dark will keep you entertained, until, eyes heavy, you fall into a deep satisfying sleep after a full day.
Overnight Kruger National Park, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 4, Night 4
Kruger National Park, central camp to Kruger Park, southern camp
With pre packed luggage, a fresh cup of coffee and a traditional “Rusk” – a baked, bread roll – we get an early start and depart into the savannas searching for the many creatures, some coming to the end of their nocturnal wanderings, while others awakening to the new day, feeding and interacting with the world around them as we head towards our next overnight stop, a camp to the south of the park in a game rich area.
As we head into the southern section of the park, we stop to view the rich wildlife such as Elephant, Lion, Buffalo and Hippo, Giraffe, Zebra and many others including a wide variety of birds, reptiles and insects along the way.
We finally make our way to bed lulled to sleep by the sounds of the wild.
Overnight Kruger National Park, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
We break for a full breakfast and then a light lunch at convenient picnic sites en-route, before reaching our rest camp for the evening.
Alan Tours will light the wood fire and prepare a traditional braai (barbecue) on the open fire under the evening star-lit skies in this African wonderland.
Day 5, Night 5
Kruger National Park, southern camp
We wake early, for those who want to join, as an optional extra, the sunrise game drive with one of the park’s rangers as they head out early to catch the morning chorus and the predators such as the Lion, the stealthy Leopard, Hyenas and Jackals as they come to the end of their nocturnal wandering; catch the bird life serenading, the morning at one of the best times to be in the park.
We return to camp for a hearty breakfast and a little chill time at your chalet or head down to the pool or simply wander around the camp familiarizing yourself with the birds and animals, both, inside the camp as well as on the outside of the fenced area.
After a break we board the tour vehicle and set out for more exciting game viewing, stopping for lunch along the way before returning to our overnight accommodation in the camp.
In a nutshell, we explore the wealth of opportunity provided for by this huge area.
After freshening up, we make our way to the camp restaurant for a well-prepared evening meal before heading off to bed and a peaceful night’s rest listening to the sounds of Africa.
Optional extra: Sunrise game drive in the park’s open game drive vehicle
Overnight Kruger National Park, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 6, Night 6
Kruger National Park to Historic gold mining town
After waking early for a fresh cup of coffee and rusks, we prepare to leave our rest camp and slowly make our way out of the park viewing the wildlife en-route to the southern exit gate as we head towards an early mining town set at the base of the oldest rock formations in the world, the site of South Africa’s first gold rush and gold mines that are still producing this alluring metal today.
On arrival, we set off to explore the historical areas with its roots in the discovery of gold in South Africa.
While exploring the town we take a lunch break before heading out for a guided tour of one of the old mines in the area.
Here we listen to the early history of gold mining in South Africa before putting on your gumboots to try your hand at some gold panning in a stream to get a feeling of the real deal.
We return to our comfortable guest house accommodation in time to freshen up before our evening meal at one of the restaurants in the area and make our way to bed after a fascinating day spent viewing some of the interesting insights into the history of South Africa.
Overnight guesthouse, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
We travel through parts of a Geological trail on our way to the border post to enter Swaziland / eSwatini.
(Please make sure you have the relevant visa and inoculations according to your country of residence).
Day 7, Night 7
Gold mining town to Swaziland / eSwatini
We wake for a leisurely breakfast at the Guesthouse before checking out as we head for the hills or more accurately the Makhonjwa Mountains. These are no ordinary mountains and are recorded as being part of the oldest rock formations on Earth at over 3 billion years of age.
After entering Swaziland, we make our way to a well-known glass making factory. Set in large gardens with stunning views of the countryside. Here a small group of crafts men and women breathe life into enchanting interpretations of wild animals and birds of Africa giving each unique piece, its own personality and life form. These glass works are special as it only uses re-cycled glass, mainly old cool drink bottles. Each piece is entirely handmade and blown by mouth.
People from all over Swaziland/eSwatini collect bottles and are paid per kilogram for clean glass. The area must be the cleanest in the country because any bottle that catches the children’s attention finds its way into the factory! Lunch can either be taken at the glass factory or on the road.
After visiting the factory, we continue our journey through eSwatini / Swaziland to our overnight accommodation set in quiet hills surrounding the outskirts of Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland with a population of around 100K persons. After freshening up we meet in the lodge restaurant for a delicious evening meal.
Overnight eSwatini/Swaziland Lodge near Mbabane, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 8, Night 8
Swaziland/eSwatini to St Lucia/South Africa
We wake early for a hearty breakfast before boarding the tour vehicle and setting out to visit one of the iconic markets in Manzini the largest centre in eSwatini before making our way to the southern border post.
After border control we arrive back in South Africa and head further south to a village, near the coast and neatly laid out on the banks of one of the largest estuaries in the country.
On arrival we check into our guesthouse accommodation and if time allows take a short drive to the river mouth to do some bird watching and possibly spot some of the many Hippos and Crocodiles that make these waters their home.
Be careful wandering around the village after dark, as there is a good chance that you could bump into one of the grumpy Hippos that graze on the lawns at night.
We take our evening meal at one of the restaurants in the town before making our way to bed and a peaceful night’s rest.
Overnight St Lucia guesthouse, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 9, Night 9
St Lucia
We wake for an early breakfast before boarding an open game drive vehicle that will take us on a guided tour of the local Game reserve.
Here we are fortunate to find a wide variety of Africa’s Big 5 as well as a diverse birdlife and reptiles, the largest of which is the Nile Crocodile, commonly found in the waters of the fresh water lake.
We return to the village in time for a light lunch and a rest before boarding a boat on the estuary (the portion of a river that is influenced by the ocean and its tides) for an unforgettable boat cruise spotting many of the Hippo and Crocodile that make this stretch of water their home.
There is a wealth of birdlife to be seen and some interesting vegetation that is important to the health of the waterway which your guide will point out to you.
Returning to shore we head back to our accommodation to freshen up before making our way to one of the many restaurants in the village for a delicious evening meal before making our way back for a comfortable night’s rest at the Guesthouse.
Overnight St Lucia guesthouse, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 10, Night 10
St Lucia to Durban
Wake for a leisurely breakfast before taking a last stroll on the beach before checking out and departing from this magical place as we head south down the highway towards our last destination, the bustling energy of our largest coastal city, Durban.
Here we check into our comfortable Guesthouse accommodation and relax before freshening up for our evening meal and an early night before your departure the next day.
Overnight Durban guesthouse, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 11
Durban
This day is reserved for your departure flight back home and the end of the Alan Tours services.
Check out after breakfast. Transfer to airport for own account.
Tour includes:
Not included:
Rates:
2 persons on tour: R 66 400 per person sharing
3-4 persons on tour: R 43 500 per person sharing
5-6 persons on tour: R 36 900 per person sharing
Single supplements applies
Minimum 2 persons
Please make sure you know whether you require a visa to cross over into eSwatini and what inoculations you require to conform to the laws of your country as well as that of eSwatini before embarking on your tour.
Wamkelekile eAfrica!
Welcome to Africa!
